Door check and holding device



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June 3, 1941. A L ARsoN 2,244,254

I DOOR CHECK AND HOLDING DEVICE i Filed Aug. 2l, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wa-fr@ /8 ATTORNEY June 3, 1941. A LARSON 2,244,254

DOOR CHECK AND HOLDING DEVICE Filed Aug. 21, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 4 l .l 23 ,human-Q g-i" i Y' ge l I A 9.7

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Zav Z as x /qz l /r/as 2 $545 l2 /04 f EL' /zy ATTORNEY Patented June 3, 1941 OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to door checks and door holding means, and has reference more particularly to devices of that character disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,970,008, issued to me on August 14, 1934; the present invention being in the nature of an improvement upon the device of the aforementioned patent, and has for its principal object to provide a practical, economical and durable means for eifecting a quick and positive closing action of a `door to which it may be applied, with a final retard ing action that is so timed as to prevent slamming.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a door check as above stated that retains all the desirable and advantageous features of the device of the above mentioned patent, and in addition thereto may be adjusted to operate selectively at any one of a great range of door closing speeds, and also to operate under control of a temperature responsive element whereby the speed of the closing operation will be maintained constant, at any setting of the device, regardless of those external temperature changes which normally cause a retarding or accelerating influence on the device, depending upon whether the temperature falls or rises.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and effective latch for holding the door in a set, open position, and which has an automatic resetting mechanism.

Still further objects of the present invention are to be found in the details of construction of the various parts, in their functional relationship and in their mode of operation, as will hereinafter be fully described.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is an upper end, or plan view, of the present device, as applied to a door and casing for use.

Fig. 2 is an elevation, illustrating the mode of application of the device to a door and door casing.

Fig. 3 is a central, vertical section of the check housing and parts contained therein, as seen on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, on the line ll-Ji in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section, on the line 5 5 in Fig. 3. y

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section, on the line 6 6 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a vertical, sectional detail on the line 1 1 in Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section as seen on the line 8-8 in Fig. 4, showing the releasable locking means for holding the Idoor at a set position.

It is 'to ybe understood that the present device isof that'general character employing a liquid medium, confined in a closed chamber or cylinder and adapted to be acted on by a piston, which movesin the cylinder or chamber under spring inuence and in accordance with the closing or opening movements of the door to which the device is applied, and wherein the retarding action of the door is effected by restricting the flow of the medium through certain ports or passages in the housing.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- The device, in its present preferred form of Y construction comprises a substantial metal housing I, of cylindrical form, provided at one side with an integral base portion 2 equipped with lateral anges 2a through which mounting screws, or the like, as at 3 in Fig, 2, may be applied to functionally attach the housing to a door or the like as has been designated in Fig. 2 by reference character 4.

The housing l is formed with a cylindrical chamber extending vertically therethrough,

which, at theV lower end, is closed by a cap or head'threaded onto the lower, cylindrical end of the housing. A gasket 7 is seated in a groove 8 provided therefor in the cap to engage the end of the housing to effectively seal vthe joint against leakage of the liquid medium that may be employed in the device.

` The upper end of the chamber is likewise closed by a cap, or plate l0 that is applied against the upper end of the housing and which may be secured in place by screws ll. A gasket I2 is interposed between the plate I0 and end of the housing to insure against leakage of liquid at this end.

At a location somewhat below the central plane between the upper and lower endsv of the housing, a horizontal partition wall I3 divides the cylindrical chamber of the housing into l upper and lower compartments; the upper com- -partment I4 being designated as the spring compartment or by-pass chamber, and the lower compartment l5 being designated as the piston compartment or piston chamber. It will here be mentioned that the partition I3 may be an integral part of the housing or an inserted member secured by suitable means in iixed position.

Extending coaxially of the cylindrical chamber is a shaft I3 which, at its lower end, is revolubly tted in a socket I9 in the end cap S. The shaft I8 extends vertically through the partition wall I3 and is there revolubly contained in a bearing sleeve 2i) formed centrally of and extending upwardly from the partition, as noted in Figs. 3 and 5, and along its upper end portion, the shaft is revolubly contained in a sleeve 2l formed integrally with and coaxially of a spring tensioning disk 22 that horizontally overlies the plate I0. The sleeve portion EI extends downwardly from the disk and revolubly through-anopening v 23 in the cap or plate I0, and the upperendportion of the shaft IS extends beyond the top sur face of the disk 22 and is squared as at A2.4, .and terminates in a threaded shank 25. A horie zontally extending lever arm 39 is formed with a square hole 3l at one end, and this is `fitted to the squared portion 24 of the shaft.l8 and a nut 32 is threaded onto the shank 125 against a washer 33 to hold the lever functionally in place.

At its outer end, the lever arm 3D Vis pivotally connected by a vertical bolt 34, with a link 35 which provides connection, through the mediacy of a horizontal bolt 35, with a rod 31 of adjustable length, attached pivotally, as at 38, to a link 39 mounted pivotally in a bracket 4D fixed to the door e casing ISI, or the like, as will be understood by reference to Figs. l and 2. The arrangement and connection of levers and links is such that, upon opening or closing the door, the shaft I8 will be caused to rotate in the housing in accordance with the degree to which the door is moved, as is well understood in this art.

By reference to Figs. l and 3, it will be observed that a bolt fifi is threaded downwardly through the lever arm 3B and is provided at its ylower-end with a stud fili adapted to be contained in any one of a plurality of spaced holes formed in the disk 22, in a circlethat is coaxial of the shaft it, thus to provide that upon opening and closing, the door, the disk 22, sleeve 2l, and shaft I8 will 1 shaft it is a piston plate this comprises a seg 'r ment of metal, as noted in Fig. 6, that is mounted on the shaft I8 by two studsEI which are secured solidly on the shaft, but which extend with some looseness into holes in the piston so that slight play of the piston in a circumferential direction relative to the shaft I8 will result incident to rota-tive action or the shaft, and this play will cause an automatic, close sealing fit of the outer edge surface of the piston with the chamber Wall when the shaft is rotatably actuated in either direction. There is also a stator block or plate 5G xed in the chamber i5 between the shaft I8 and chamber wall to coact with the piston, as presently understood. This stator comprises a block segment, like the piston, and is held in place by a key seated in the chamber wall, as noted in Fig. 6, and in a slot in the stator, which permits a certain degree of lateral play of the block that will insure the tightening of its Vertical edges against the shaft I8 and chamber wall under pressure created against one side of the stator 'by the hydraulic medium used in the chamber, under the action oi the piston inl its rotative action.

Located in the spring chamber I4, coaxially about the shaft I8, and one within the other, are two coiled springs 60 and Iii, which eiect the door closing action. The outer spring coil 6D terminates at its upper end'in an outwardly turned hook S2 that seats in a notch 63 in the chamber wall, as will be observed in Fig 4. At its lower end, the spring 60 has an inturned hook 64 seated in a notch 65 in an extending, horizontal Iiange B6', of a collar 65, that is rotatably fitted about a bushing 61 which, in turn, is revolubly tted to the shaft i3 and which rests upon the upper end of the bearing sleeve 23 extended upwardly from the partition wall i3. The lower end of the inner spring @I terminates in an inturned hook 68 that seats in a hole Si? in the collar BS. Thus, the collar'SG serves as a connecting medium for the lower ends of the two springs. At its upper end, the spring 6l terminates in an inturned hook I0 seated in a hole 'Il in a sleeve 'l2 that is tted to the sleeve 2i and which is keyed thereto as at 'l3 in Fig. 3. The sleeve '2 is formed at its upper end with a flange 'I2' and this is rotatably enclosed in a collar or ring '54. The sleeve 'l2 and ring '14 bear upwardly against the under side of the plate I8, as seen in Fig. 3.

It will here be mentioned that the arrangement of springs''? and EI andtheir connection is such that one is in eiect a'continuation of the other. Also, the arrangement and mode of connection is such that merely by inverting the springs in the housing, a change may be made for the accommodation of a right or left hand swinging door.

The closing force to be exerted on the door is 'in accordance with the tension aiorded through the springs EQ and 6I, and this may be decreased or increased by rotation of the disk 22 when detached, by removal of the bolt 44, from lever 3D. After a desired tension has been placed on the springs, the bolt 4d is applied in the lever and to one of the disk holes Lto retainthe tension.

Formed through the partition wall I3, respectively, at opposite sides of the stator plate 54, are ports 'I5 and The port 1G which is at that side ofthe stator toward which the piston swings in the door closing operation is adapted to be closed against back iow of liquid from the lower to the upper chamber by a ball check valve 11. Only one of these ports is Valve equipped, and it depends upon the direction of swing of the door; that is, whether it be right or left-hand swing, as to which port the valve is applied; it being intended that the open port shall provide a free flow of liquid therethrough and permit an easy opening of the door, and that the valved port shall allow iniiow of liquid back of the piston when the door is opening, but shall close`to retard the door closing action.

The partition wall I3 is also provided with a plurality of ports B0 opening to the upper and lower chambers for iiow of the fluid medium employed, and these are circularly arranged about the axis of shaft I8. Also, tted rotatably about the bearing hub portion 2D that extends upwardly from the partition wall, is a disk 8I having ports 82 therethrough designed to be adjustably registered with the ports 80. A nut 83 is threaded onto the bearing hub and holds the disk 8| iitted in a liquid-tightjoint to the parttion wall, as noted in Fig. 3. With the understanding that the door closing movement under the spring action is in accordance with the rate of ejection of liquid from the piston chamber ahead of the piston as the door closes, it will be understood that this speed will be governed to justed to move the ports 82 into or from registration with the ports 80 in a manner to more or less restrict the passage therethrough of the liquid medium used for slower or faster closing action of the door under inuence of the Springs.

It is to'be observed, particularly by reference to Fig. 3, that the ports 80 through the partition wall, and the ports 82 through the adjustable disk 8|, are surrounded on the adjacent faces of the disk and partition, with short hub portions designated at 80 and 82. These hub portions effect a desirable spacing apart of the partition Wall and disk that overcomes any clutch action that would tend to make adjustment of disk 8| diiicult. Furthermore, the hubs extend the length of the by-pass channels to such an extent that any funnel action in the flow of oil downwardly is overcome and thus air bubbles are not carried from the upper chamber into the piston chamber.

In the use of the device, a suitable liquid medium, such as oil, fills the piston chamber and at least partially fills the spring chamber, and it will be understood that with changes of temperature, the consistency of and ease of flow of the liquid medium used in the chamber varies. Thus, for example, in the use of oil in the device, it is desirable that with a rise of temperature, which causes a freer ow of the medium, the ports or passages through partition |3 should be more restricted, and with a drop in temperature, the passages Sl should be opened further for a freer passage of oil from the piston chamber under the dispelling action of the piston. This is effected by adjustment of disk 8|.

In order that the adjustment of the control disk may be made automatic, I have provided a bi-metal bar 9U, contained lengthwise in the bore 85, and rigidly fixed at its lower end. to the disk arm 84, and seated at its upper end in a downwardly facing notch 92 formed in a block 93 mounted for lateral adjustment by an adjusting screw 94 threaded through the housing base in the upper end of bore 85. It will be understood that since the screw 94 has an adjustab-ly xed connection in the housing, the block 93 may be moved in a manner whereby, through the mediacy of the bimetal bar, the disk 8| will be rotatably adjusted to locate the ports 82 therein in any desired setting relative to the ports 8|! in partition 3 and thus to regulate the rate of flow of medium in a manner whereby to control the rate of closing of the door under the influence of springs t8 and 6|. Furthermore, the function of the bimetal bar is such that, after a manual adjustment of the disk for any normal working temperature has been made, should there be a change in temperature, the bar 90 will ilex accordingly, and thus, by reason of the block 93 being fixed, will automatically effect a rotary adjustment of the disk, to compensate for any change in flow of liquid due to the temperature change.

As a detail of construction, it will be observed that the adjusting screw 94 has a ball shaped head S4' at its inner end seated in a cylindrically curved bore 93' in the block to provide'a holding connection between the parts.

It has sometimes happened that particlesof sediment in the oil have been caught in the bypass ports and have prevented the automatic adjustment of the disk. Therefore, it is desirable that some positive means be provided whereby to move the disk to free such sediment, and I have accordingly fixed a vertical post 96 to the radial arm 84 of the disk 8|, as will be noted in Fig. 7, which post, at its upper end, .is contained in a notch 97 in the under face of the block 93. This notch is of such extent as not to interfere with the normal automatic adjustment of the disk 8|, but alords a positive abutment whereby an adjustment may be made of the disk by a manual adjustment of the block 93. A manual adjustment, such as to open the passages, would permit the passage to be cleared of the sediment and then the parts readjusted to operate under the automatic control of the bi-metal strip.

In view of the fact that should the temperature of the oil go to certain extremes, it would cause a rotative adjustment of the disk 8l sufcient to completely cut 01T the by-passing of the oil, it is desirable that the extent of adjustment be limited. Therefore, a set screw 99 is threaded through the post 96 to engage with the bar 98 in order that at a predetermined high degree, the bar will have no further rotating iniiuence on the disk.

In order that the door may be held at any open position against the closing influence of the spring, when such is desired, I have provided a holding device comprising a vertical bolt |08 contained slidably in a vertical bore |0| in the base portion of the housing. At its upper end, the bolt rotatably mounts a toothed star wheel |02. The bolt is formed with a downwardly facing shoulder |83, and a coiled spring |04, encircling the bolt, bears upwardly against the shoulder and against the base of the bore to urge the bolt upwardly to retain the star wheel against the under side of the peripheral portion of the disk 22. The disk is formed on its under surface with spaced radial notches |85, and any two adjacent teeth of the star wheel may engage in adjacent notches, when the bolt is released andl actuated by spring |84 to locking position, to hold the disk against rotation and thus hold the door at a set, open position. The star wheel is held yieldingly against rotation by the pressure exerted upwardly on the bolt |00 by spring |04 and also by the pressure thereagainst of a bolt, or pin H0 that is slidably contained in a bore ||2 coaxially formed in the bolt |88 and urged against the wheel by a coiled spring 3 contained in the bottom of the bore |42 and acting against the pin as seen in Fig. 8.

It will be noted that the teeth of the star wheel are formed with radially curved, opposite side surfaces H4, and the design provides that incident to app-lying a hard push against the door, the forces applied through the lever 38 and disk 22 will cause the star wheel to be rotated. This rotation of the star wheel causes a slight depression of the bolt ll against the force of opening |84 and brings about the resetting of the bolt to its normally released position for normal movement of the door under control of the check,

The resetting action of the star wheel, when rotated, and whereby the bolt |00 is returned to retracted position andthe star wheel held in lthe `clear of the disk 22, isby reason of the fact that incident to rotation of the star wheel and depression of the bolt |80, the latter will be brought Ainto engagement at its lower end with a holding opening notch |29, the inner end Wall of which is designed normally to engage the shoulder |26' to hold the bolt E retracted against pressure of spring |04 and the star wheel held clear of the disk 22, as noted in Fig. 8. With the bolt |00 in that retracted position, the door can be swung open, or closed. When it is desired to hold the door in a set, open position, the bolt |21 is shifted inwardly in its bore to disengage the inner end of the notch |29 from the shoulder |26', thus permitting the spring Hill to actuate the bolt |00 upwardly and engage the teeth of the star wheel in notches of disk 22 to thus hold the door in the set position. A coiled spring M2, located in the bore |28, engages and yieldingly retains the bolt |21 in latching position.

The releasing action of the bolt |21 is effected either by pull on a cable ifi@ that is attached to the bolt end and extended through an opening IM to the outside of the housing, or by pressure against the head portion of the bolt that is eX- posed at the side of the housing.

Assuming the device tobe so constructed, and applied to a door and casing, as illustrated, and assuming the housing chamber to be properly lled with a suitable liquid medium, such as oil, or any equivalent thereto, the operation of the device, in brief, is as follows:

Starting with the doo'r in a closed position, on opening it, the shaft i8 will be caused to rotate in the housing accordingly, thus moving the piston es `in the piston chamber in the direction of the arrow -f-- in Fig. 6, causing the ejection of the liquid ahead of the piston into the spring chamber through the open port and through some of the partition wall ports 80. At the same time, the liquid is drawn by suction into the piston chamber, back of the piston through ports 80 and the valve equipped port 1B. Then, when the door is released, the tension of the springs, 60 and 6 I, acting on the housing and through the various connections including the lever 30, causes the door to swing toward closed position. I-I'owever, the closing movement is retarded by reason of the automatic closing of the valved passage 1-6 and by reason of the restricted flow through the ports S9, caused by any particular setting of disk 8|, and by reason of the ports 80 being successively eliminated as relief outlets, as the piston moves toward the stator 54. Finally all ports 80 on the closing side will be passed by the piston just prior to the door reaching fully closed position, and thus there will be no slamming action.

With the disk 8| manually adjusted so as to restrict the iiow through the ports 80 to any particular degree, the adjustment will be automatically changed due to the thermostatic bar 90 to compensate for temperature changes and thus keep the action constant. Any change of adjustment may be manually made by adjustment of the set screw 94, and this will not affect the automatic action of bar 90.

When it is desired to hold the door at a set position, the latch bolt |21 is released by pull on cord |40, and this causes the star wheel |02 to be .moved up against the notched disk 22 to hold the door at the set position. A hard push on .the door effects the rotation of the star wheel vfor release` of the door and automatic resetting ofthe locking bolt |00. i@ bears against the star wheel to hold it prop- The spring pressed pin .erly positioned, as in Fig. 8, and free of contact with the disk when the lock is not in holding position.

Having .thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. In a door check and closing device, a housing for a hydraulic medium, formed with a piston chamber and a by-pass chamber, a door actuat- .ing shaft movably mounted in the housing, a

`pass port to control the closing speed of the door, and a temperature responsive means for actuating the said movable member.

`2. In a door check and closing device, a housing for a hydraulic medium, formed with a piston chamber and a by-pass chamber, a door actuating shaft movably mounted in the housing, a piston fixed on the shaft in the piston chamber, a stator `fixed in the piston chamber toward which the piston will move in accordance with the door closing action of the said shaft; a spring acting on the shaft to effect the door closing movement thereof; said piston chamber and bypass chamber being connected by a series of bypass ports, for the by-passing of hydraulic medium from the piston chamber to the by-pass chamber under the action of the piston in a door closing operation, and which ports are arranged to -be successively passed by the piston as it moves toward the stator, a closure member associated with the by-pass ports and movable for determining the effective size of the ports, a movable block, a thermostatic element mounted by and connecting the block and closure member for an automatic adjustment of the latter in accordance with temperature changes, and means normally anchoring the block and manually movable for adjusting the block to effect an adjustment of the closure member through the mediacy of the thermostatic element.

`3. In a door check and closing device, a closed housing for a hydraulic medium, formed with a piston chamber, and a by-pass chamber, a door actuating shaft revolubly mounted in the housing, a piston fixed on the shaft in the piston chamber, a stator fixed in the piston chamber toward and from which the piston moves with the door vclosing and opening movements of the said shaft; said housing having a series of ports providing communication between the chambers and adapted to be successively passed by the piston in its travel in the piston chamber, a spring acting on the shaft to effect the door closing actions thereof, a member movable to simultaneously change the effective size of all the by-pass ports to control the rate of the door closing action of the shaft, and a manually adjustable means for effecting and retaining an adjustment of said member.

4. In a door check and closing device, a closed housing for a hydraulic medium, formed with a piston chamber, and a by-pass chamber, a door actuating shaft revolubly mounted in the housing, a piston fixed on the shaft in the piston chamber, a stator fixed in the piston chamber toward and from which the piston moves with the door closing and opening movements of the said shaft; said housing having a series of ports providing communication between the chambers and adapted to be successively passed by the piston in its travel in the piston Chamber, a spring acting on the shaft to effect the door closing actions thereof, a member movable to simultaneously change the effective size of all the by-pass ports t control the rate of the door closing action of the shaft, and a temperature responsive element for effecting the automatic adjustment of said member to diminish or increase the effective size of the by-pass ports in accordance with rise and fall of temperature of the hydraulic medium used in the chambers.

5. In a door check and closing device, a closed cylindrical housing having a partition wall dividing it into a piston chamber and a by-pass chamber; said partition having a series of bypass ports arranged for by-passing of hydraulic medium from one chamber to the other, a door actuating shaft coaxial of the cylindrical housing, a piston fixed to the shaft in the piston chamber, a stator fixed in the piston chamber, toward and from which the piston moves with the door closing and opening actions of the shaft, a spring confined in the cylinder under tension and acting on the shaft to effect its door closing actions, a plate overlying the partition and having ports therein adapted for registering with those in the partition wall, and means for adjusting the p0- sition of the plate to cause its ports to be more or less registered with those of the partition wall to change the eifective size of the by-pass ports and thus regulate the closing speed of the door.

6. A door check and closing device, comprising a hydraulic cylinder with a dividing partition providing a piston chamber and a by-pass chamber, and having a series of by-pass ports provided through the partition for now of hydraulic medium from one chamber to the other, a door operating shaft coaxial of the chambers, means at one end of the shaft for effecting an operating connection with a door, a spring acting on the shaft to effect the door closing actions thereof, a piston fixed to the shaft in the piston chamber, a stator xed in the piston chamber toward and from which the piston moves in the door closing and opening actions of the shaft; a valve plate fitted to the partition wall and having ports therein adapted to be registered with those in the partition wall, means for manually adjusting the plate to more or less open the ports to control the rate of outow of medium from the piston chamber ahead of the piston in a closing action of the door, and a temperature responsive means for making an automatic adjustment of the plate in accordance with rise and fall of temperature of the hydraulic medium.

7. A door check and closing device comprising a closed cylindrical housing for a hydraulic medium, a partition wall dividing the cylinder and providing a piston chamber and a by-pass chamber therein, a door actuating shaft rotatably mounted coaxial of the housing, means at one end of the shaft for providing an operating connection with a door, a piston xed to the shaft in the piston chamber, a stator xed in the piston chamber toward and from which the piston moves with door closing and opening action of the shaft, a spring in the by-pass chamber acting on the shaft to effect the door closing operations thereof; said partition wall having a series of ports therethrough providing for bypassing of the hydraulic medium from one chamber to the other with the travel of the piston and to be successively passed by the piston in its travel, a disk fitted to the partition wall and rotatably adjustab-le to more or less restrict the flow of hydraulic medium through each of the by-pass ports, a manually adjustable member mounted in the housing, and a temperature responsive connection between said member and said disk whereby any setting of the disk by the manually adjustable member will be automatically adjusted to compensate for changes in closing speed of the door due to the changes of temperature of the hydraulic medium.

8. A device as in claim 7 wherein means is provided for limiting the extent of adjustment of the disk under the inuence of the temperature responsive connection.

ANDREW LARSON. 

